Osgood



(NoMoae.) l'

` R. R. OSGOOD.

DREDGBR AND BXGAV'ATOR.

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RALPH R1 OSGOl), OF TROY, NEW YORK.

DREDtW AND EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATIQN forming' part ef Letters Patent 160.257,888, dated May 16, 1488-2., Application filed May 2T, 1830. (No model) To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, RALPH R. Oscoop, of Troy, county et' Rensselaer and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredges and Excavators, of which the following is a full), clear, and exact description, reerenec being had.. to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters et reference marked thereon.

Myinvention has relation chiefly to that class of machines used for underwater excavating or dredging, and for that purpose generally mounted upon a boat, though theimprorements might, it iound desirable, be applied in some instances to a machine mounted upon a platform intended to run upon rails or other snit ably-prepared read-bed; and theinvention has p for its principal object the construction of a dredge or excavator of the class shown in patents of the United States granted to mc July 13, 1875, and October 23, 12:7 7, numbered, respectivel y, 165,608 and 196,378, in such man ner that one and the same machine may he employed either with the` scoop orshovel, as shown in said patents, or with the ordinary or 'any approved pattern of clam-shell7 clipper,

as circumstances may require, thus practicallyT making the twoklnds ot' machines in one, and

obviating the expense of the boat or platter-m and machinery for thesecond style ot' dredge or excavator. To accomplishv this the invention involves certain novel and useful cnnobi nations or relative arrangelnentsot' parts, all of which will be hereinafter tirstfully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying 1nyimproveruents,tbe scoop or shovel and its attached handle being shown in position ready for use and the poleguides t'or the elam-shell-dipper poles being shown as mounted upon the extremity ot' the same boom that carries said dipper-handle,but Without the poles in place. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one part ot" the hoorn, showing the location ofthe shovel-handle guide and the polegnides mountedthereon,nei ther thehandle nor the poles 'being in place. Fig. 3 is a `view simi lar to Fig. '1,except that the clam-shell dipper and poles are mounted in place for use, while the shovel-handle is omitted .or withd rawn from its mountings.

`'naled so as to turn thereon Like letters of reference, Wherever they occur, indicate corresponding part-s in all the figures.

A dredging-machine, especially such an one as is used for under-water excavations,l is frequently required to change from a hard to a sot't bank, er the reverse., the material to be excavated varying greatly in hardness and consistency. In a hard bank the scoop or shovel is only available for effective work, and in a soft bank-such as 1nud,light sand, and. de bristhc clam-shell dippcr is most advantageous, being easier and more rapid in its operations. Upon such Works as require the peculiar capabilities of both kinds of machines it has been customary to employ two separatedredges or excavators, necessitating practically as much outlay for machinery and tttings in one machine as in the other. 'lo obviatc this expense I combine the two machines in one, as will hereinafter appear.

A is the boat or platform upon which the t engine is mounted; B,the turn-table carrying the boom C; and D is the frame or support which maintains the boom in any positipn to which it may be adjusted through the medium of chain or cable E.

F is the guide i'or the handle H, mounted in trunnions upon theboem and so arranged that the handle may travel in the guides in the direction ot' its length as Well as revolve upon the trunnions when clamped by the holding mechanism, which is broughtinto play by movement of the lever a.

G is the ordinary scoop, or shoveh as it is called, mounted upon the extremity of handle H and operated by the operating chaiusor cables, (but one ot which is shown `in Fig. 1, as at l.)

l K are the guides for the poles of the clamsheil dipper, and thesemount upon the same booin which carries the guide and trunnions for the shovethandle H. rllhe guides K K project heyondthe sides of the boom andare jourin any approved Way, so that the poles P P of the clam-shell dipper, when located in the guides, may'antoinaticaliy assume a vertical position independentlyof' the position et' theboom, and they (the guides K K) are located one forward of the sheaves l! L, over which the operating-chains are passed, and the other on the opposite side y IOO of the boom and in rear of the sheaves, so that they or 1liepoles when located iu piaee will not interfere with the proper operation ot the inachine. rilhe handle H, as also the poles P P, are made so as to be readily detached and as readily inserted in their proper bearin With the improved machine as thus con-v structed, to use the shovel alone it is mounted in. place, as at Fig.1,thepoleguides being entirely out of the Way and not interfering with any of the workings ot1 the machine. 1t' it be desired to replace the shovel by thc clam-shell dipper, or to convert the machine into one of the other class, then thehandleH is Withdrawn from its mountings and the polesPl? inserted in their proper guides, as at Fi g'. 3. in this latter case the operating-chains I and. I are both employed in thesai'ne relative positions as with the other style ot ma chines-one, as I, being used for the opening of the buckets, and I beingemployed to close them after the usual mauner. Thus it will be seen that the compound or combined machine requires only an additional outlay for the second form of buckets in order 'to make it readily convertible from one class to the other, and the 'changes may he easily and quickly accomplished with very little trouble or delay.

Instead of the peculiar .t'orm of boom iilus trated, any style of crane might be employed; but the boom shown'is that best adapted. for either class ot machines, and I therefore prefer it to indicate the characteigscepe, and simplie ity of my improvements.

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The improves-rents will readily recommend themselves for adoption in an v case Wh en their obvious advantages in point et" time-saviug and. expense are in fact or likely to be desirable.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism

1. In a tlredgii'.ginzicliine or excavator, the eo1nbination,ivitl1 the swinging boom or crane, carrying the shovel-handle `duide, ofthe poleguidcsfor the clamfshell-dipper poles mounted upon said boom or crane, and adapted to operate, substantially in the manneraud for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the swinging boom or crane, the guide tor the dipper-liaudle aXled upon said, boom, aud the pole-guides also axled thereon on opposite sides thereof and on opposite sides ot' the sheaves for the operating'- chains, substantially as shown and described.

' 8. r.'Che hereiudescribed convertible excavator, the same being composed essentially of the -ooomor crane carrying the movable dipperhandle guide and lttings, and the clam-*shellpole guides mounted upon said boom or crane, the whole being adapted for use, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set iorth.

In testimonythat.Iclaim thetoregoing have hereunto set lmy hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

RALPH lt.: OSGOOD.

Witnesses GERALD G. RIORDAN, N. DANNPERLE. 

